Feeding device for sewing-machines.



No. 722,014. PATENTED MAR. 3, 1903. 0. S. HARMON. FEEDING DEVICE FOR SEWING MACHINES.

APPLIGATION FILED DEG.15, 1900.

H l W Ii &

will" 0. I vIIIH'HHW Q, 1:; Q I'" I Q g I a I L\/ J V l k Q l w. s R Q 2 Q P? v i a WITNESSES: INVENTORV armada/mm BY 04w, 4%,

H15 ATTORNEY No. 722,014. PATENTED MAR. 3, 1903. 0. S. HARMUN. FEEDING DEVICE FOR SEWING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 15, 1900.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

NO MODEL.

INVENTOR OrW'ZZmYEQ/J'Wn.

WITNESSES.

H IS ATTORNEY rrnn rrrcn.

[FEEDING DEVICE FOR SEWING-MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 722,014, dated March 3, 1903.

Application filed December 15, 1900. Serial No. 40,008. (No model.)

To all whomit may concern:

Beit known that I, ORVILLE S. HARMON, a citizen of the United States of America, residing in the borough of Brooklyn, city and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Feeding Devices for Sewing-Machines,of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in sewingmachines, and particularly to the mechanism for feeding forward the material.

For the purpose of illustration 1 have shown my invention as applied to a hemstitch-machine; but it is to be understood that it may be used in connection with other types of sewing-machines.

The invention consists in the matters hereinafter described and referred to in the appended claims.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side view of a sewing-machine head, showing a portion of the improved feeding means. Fig. 2 is an end View of my invention, a portion of a hemmer being also shown. Fig. 3 is a detail view, and Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view, to show the method of feeding and stitching.

Similar characters in the several views indicate similar parts.

To secure even feeding of the cloth during the sewing operation, I employ in addition to the regular four-motion feed-dog which operates upon the under face of the goods an upper feed-dog which acts on the upper side of the goods. When it becomes necessary to release the goods from the two feeding-dogs, a foot which is attached to the presser-bar acts to hold the goods against any movement. The same motion is imparted to the upper feed-dog that is imparted to the under feeddog, except that when the latter drops from the work to move back to take a fresh hold upon the work the upper dog rises and moves back. These two dogs are connected, so as to move synchronously, and in order that there shall be no movement of the goods after the dogs have released their-hold and while they are moving back to take a fresh hold the presser-bar foot rests upon the goods, and the parts are so arranged that the upper feed-dog cannot begin to rise until the presser-foot is firmly pressing down upon the goods to hold them in place.

My present invention may be used with any form of sewing-machine; but for the sake of convenience of illustration I have shown it in connection with the Wheeler & Wilson type of machine, in which A designates a sewingmachine head, A the needle-bar, and A a. pitman to vibrate the needle, said pitman being operated by the rock-lever A in the usual way by a cam on a shaft in the head of the machine. To the needle-bar there is secured a punch or plunger Aflwhieh operates in a manner hereinafter described.

13 designates a feed-dog, which, as usual, is secured to the feed-bar B which latter is actuated through the lever B, rock-shaft l3", arm B and cam b to give it an up-and-down movement and through the lever B on the rock-shaft B to give it a backward-and-forward movement. These movements of the feed-dog 13 are effected, through the instrumentalities referred to, from the main driving-shaft B in the usual and well known manner.

The upper feed-dog L and the presser-foot M have independent movements during the sewing operation; but both are raised by the presser-bar in the usual manner to release the work at the end of the sewing. The desired movements of the dog L and the foot M are secured by the following means: To the shaft B, which gives the forward-and-backward movement to the feed-dog B is secured anarm N, and pivotally connected to said arm is a rod N, which extends upwardly through an opening in the bed-plate. This rod at its upper end is pivoted to an arm N, which arm is secured to a rock-shaft N extending lengthwise of the bed-plate and rocking in hearings in brackets attached to the frame of the machine. The shaft N carries near its forward end a depending arm N, which arm has at its lower end astud n. On this stud is pivotally secured a bar N having its forward end supported on a stud n held between the bifurcated lower end of a link P The upper feed-dog L is secured, preferably by screws, to the under face of the bar N Through the train of mechanism just described the dog L has imparted to it a backward-and-forward movement corresponding in time, extent, and direction with the backward-and-forward movement of the feeddog B To give the desired up and-down -movements to the part L, so as to release the work when the dogs move back to secure a fresh hold upon the work and to clamp the work to give it the necessary feed, I employ the following: On the stud which carries the camfollower b is pivotally secured a connectingrod 0, which passes through an opening in the bed-plate and is pivotally connected at its upper end to an arm 0, which arm is clamped to a rock-shaft 0 supported in bearings in brackets attached to the frame of the machine. On the said shaft is secured a depending arm O which carries near its end a stud 0 On this stud are pivoted two links 0 and 0 extending forward, one on each side of the presser-bar. On a stud 19, extending through the presser-bar, are pivoted one on each side of the presser-bar two levers P and P, said levers carrying studs 19 and p and serving as levers, as hereinafter described. The forward ends of the links 0 and O are respectively mounted on the studs 19 and 19 The pinp extends between the levers P and P, and on this pin is pivotally secured the upper end of the bifurcated rod P heretofore referred to.

In the train of mechanism just described it will thus be seen that the dog L has imparted to it not only a backward-and-forward movement corresponding in time, extent, and direction to the backward-and-forward movement of the feed-dog B but a corresponding up-and-down movement, except in an opposite directio11-that is, when the feed-dog B is lowered the dog L is raised, and vice versaso as to simultaneously release and clamp the work. Just previous to the instant that the work is released by the two dogs the foot M is lowered to clamp the work to the throatplate, and just previous to raising the foot M at the completion of the backward movement of the dog L said dog L is lowered to clamp the work-that is, the work is at all times held firmly in its place during the sewing operation, but may be freed by raising the presser-foot by hand in the usual manner.

By reference to Fig. 4 the movements of the parts will be readily understood. The parts are so timed that the needle passes successively into the holes 1 2 3 4 5 6 (2) 7 8 9, (5,) &c., the foot M clamping the work and the dog L, together with the feed-dog B being actuated to release the work, moved backward to secure a fresh hold, and to again clamp the work while the needle is in the holes 1 4 7 10, &c. In order to secure the necessary pressure upon the parts L and M, I provide a spring S, resting between the frame that carries the needle-bar and presser-foot bar and the top edge of the plates P and P. In the positions shown in the drawings the links 0 and O are acting to hold up the presserbar, and with it the foot M, and to depress the dog L. At the end of the sewing of the set of triangular stitches the arm 0 is rocked, so as to move the links 0 and O in the direction of the arrow 1, Fig. 2. This movement lowers the presser-bar, carrying with it the foot M, the pin 19 serving at such time as a fulcrum. As soon as the foot M clamps the work to the throat-plate it will be about the middle of the stroke of the links 0 and O. The further movement of said links raises the rod P and with it the bar N and the dog L. When the dog L is raised, the pin 19 serves as a fulcrum. On movement of the links 0 and O in the reverse direction, or in the direction of the arrow 2, the action is first to lower the dog L and then to raise the foot M. These movements will be made clear by reference to the diagram, Fig. 4. Starting with the hole 1 the foot M is depressed at the completion of the downstroke of the needle in said hole; second, the dog L is raised as the needle is raised out of the work and the feeddog 13 lowered; third, the dogs L and B are moved backward to secure a new hold on the cloth; fourth, the dog L is depressed and the dog B raised to clamp the goods; fifth, the foot M is raised; sixth, the dogs L and B feed the work one stitch; seventh, one stitch is formed from holes 1 2; eighth, the dogs L and B are moved backward without separating, thus moving the work with them; ninth, a stitch is then sewed between the holes 2 3; tenth, the work is then fed one stitch ahead between the holes 3 4:; eleventh, the foot M is depressed and the dog L raised, completing the cycle of feeding and sewing operations.

Portions of a hemmer which may be used in conjunction with my machine are indicated in Fig. 2, in whichf is an arm of the hemmer, which carries, threaded through the end thereof, an adjusting-screw i. b indicates an opening in the army, and said arm, with connected parts, is supported upon a'square shaft G. 6 indicates one edge of one of the folding plates, and e indicates a more advanced portion thereof. I is a spring secured to a metallic supporting-piece z" and arranged to ex tend forward of the arm f so that the ad justing-screw 'i may bear upon the rear portion thereof. 1 is a cam bearing upon the rear extremity of the spring I for further controlling the same. 6 indicates the extremity of the rearwardly-curved portion of the plate 6.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a sewing-machine the combination of upper and lower feed-dogs, of means to impart to said dogs their feeding movements, simultaneously, the mechanism for imparting to the upper dog its feed movements comprising two rods through which said dog is suspended, pivoted connections between said rods and said dog, the horizontal movements of the dog being derived through one of said rods, and its vertical movement through the other of said rods, substantially as described.

2. In a sewing-machine the combination with upper and lower feed-dogs of a presserfoot, a lever pivoted directly to the presserfoot bar, a rod pivoted to said lever and connected to the upper feed-dog, a link connection for said lever and means to actuate said link so that a single movement of said link in one direction will successively move in a vertical direction the presser-foot and the upper feed-dog, and means for actuating the lower feed-dog correspondingly and simultaneously therewith, substantially as described.

3. In a sewing-machine the combination with upper and lower feed-dogs, of a presserfoot, a lever pivoted directly to the presserfoot bar, a rod pivoted to said lever and connected to the upper feed-dog, a link connection for said lever, and means to actuate said link so that a single movement of said link in one direction will move the lever so as to alternately cause the presser-foot and the upper feed-dog to engage the goods, and a spring interposed between said lever and the presser-bar carrier,substantially as described.

4. In a sewing-machine, the combination with upper and lower feed-dogs, of a presserfoot, means to alternately raise and lower the upper feed-dog and presser-foot, comprising two levers pivotally secured to the presserfoot bar, a stud extending between said levers, a rod pivoted on said stud and connected to the upper feed-dog, link connections for both of said levers and means to actuate said links, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ORVILLE S. HARMON.

Witnesses:

G110. E. (Ross, CHARLES S. JONES. 

